It is an interesting question.. I've found the blogs to be very helpful as someone just learning the ropes, but am leveraging them after pouring through 1000s of threads here trying to build a foundation. To me, they're a great place for reference material more than anything. If the blogs become too public do you really think this will cause good opportunities to dry up more quickly? I'm guessing yes.

- John

While this thread is specifically about churning guidelines, there are many other secrets not spoke about on the board because it does ruin it. There are ways to manufacturer miles with little/no out of pocket costs. These are the things people will not give out freely as it is something they do not risk lose. These secrets can lose a person 50,000 miles a year or more with a single method.

This is a great mentality and is why I started my own forum. There is a section for only certain people to get in. People who bring ideas to the table. You dont get in freely and take from of everyone else. Much like the book an Ayn Rand "Atlas Shrugged".

You way underestimate the ability to manufacture miles. 50,000 miles is the take on a slow day. Think millions annually. But you do have to have capital and credit to play the game.

Best tip is manage your credit score - make it look pretty for the banks. Then do the high bonus low spend card signups. After that you have to be crafty.

you, my friend, are one crazy person. I completely respect your methodology but like most others here, we dont make that many miles in a year.

Actually, you need to take barter a step further as the harvesters among us bring in way many more miles than we can use. Some of us do lend-lease, but it would be nice to swap this for that on occasion as the limitless ability to fly free and stay free in hotels does get old. The first 100 countries are exciting, then they start to look alike. Eighty percent of the world just ain't a tourist hotspot and there are no refer magnets for many of the places I have been to lately.

you sir are my new hero.

Any suggestions on how to take bartering to the next level?

Also, I'm not sure what you mean by lend-lease and refer magnets. Could you go into more detail on those?

You're missing the point. He could but he won't.

Doesn't it suck when all the hard work of "the harvesters" goes to waste, and when the rest of "the heretics" force themselves into hiding even though there is no inquisition looking for them?

Please do not mistake my irreverance for lack of respect. I bow to the masters, but keeping most secrets in this day and age gotta be so hard and so freaking lonely... and so unnecessary, too.

There's a story about Joe Kennedy and a shoeshine boy. Joe knew when even the shoeshine boy had stock tips, the jig would soon be up. He got out of the stock market just before the crash of '29, preserving his fortune.

I'm enjoying rewards and points, but lately seems a little too good to be true.

Taking it to the next level requires you to have something useful. Come up with something new and original that can generate miles and you have something useful.

Im assuming he means lend-lease as in sharing points withing a small group. If someone needs AA miles, they can borrow 100k miles from someone else in the group. This requires lots of trust.

It's the plural that killed me... millions. I'm hoping to net 1,000,000 this year if everything goes according to plan, but getting much more than that seems to be out of reach. Even if I had enough capital to put into it!

I gotta admit when I hear millions in plural form as for a single individual annually on a consistent basis, it does bring up a skeptic in me.

However, theoretically speaking, for someone who's new to the game there are more than enough credit cards options with good bonuses in circulation right now that (adequately spaced out) could provide you with a couple million miles and points for the next 2 years. More if you sign up with a spouse. I say theoretically, because it requires a lot of diligence and discipline (and determination, too). Then, you would exhaust your options for a while, but it seems, banks tend to forget your "tresspassings" (LOL) after 2-4 years, so you could theoretically start all over again.

Then, there seem to be a few churnable cards in an old AA sense. Barclay US Airways, Chase Mariott, some annual fee cards like two Hawaiian and the Virgin. Even with the fees, they are still a great deal if you can use the miles or transfer them to Hilton.

Of course, as 8mpg points out, being a trusted member of some sort of a "syndicate" could prove useful as well, since they are able to help each other out. For instance, I could book you on AA using my miles in exchange for you booking me a OWB in Bora Bora using your IHG points. That's the kind of barter that loyalty programs would frown upon, but it's completely doable.

I'm guessing, targeted CC offers could also be put into game. It depends on a particular CC policy, but I once signed up for the AMEX offer that had arrive to my former business tenant with a special code (with his blessing, of course). Another time, I tried something like that with a Citi (I think, but not sure), and it didn't fly. So, I guess, some targeted offers could be trade-able, as well.

Other than that and an occasional Fidelity or Ameritrade transfer, I don't see any way to play the system for a considerable amount of miles and points. Small change like gaming gift cards or Netflix and such, or promos for paid stays and actual flying don't count. I do not doubt there are some secret ways of getting something, but I think whatever it is, it's gotta be more bothersome ventures and much lesser gains - no disrespect to anybody.

Good for us to continuously update this. Thanks.